The Death of Natsu Dragneel
by sherlocked-with-no-key
Summary: The Oracion Seis are at it again, targeting the Fairy Tail guild and the town of Magnolia with everything they've got. But will they be too much for the Dragon Slayer to handle this time?


"ICE-MAKE LANCE!" I heard Gray shout over the noise.

"HEAVEN'S WHEEL!" Erza's voice joined.

Everyone in the guild gives their best at all times. And today was no exception. This would be the last time that the Oracion Seis messed with Fairy Tail.

Racer and Angel threw everything they had at our friends but no matter how many spells they unleashed, we fought back with even more. I saw Cana's tarot cards slice through the air, Max's sand blast knock Cobra out of sight, and Mira's takeover slashed at Racer.

"Open! Gate of the Lion!" I yelled, key in hand, and Loke appeared a second later.

"I got this one, Lucy." He said with a smile and jumped into the chaos.

Suddenly booms shook the guildhall and Gajeel came through the ceiling, landing on one of the tables with a grunt. Levy screamed. He sat up and growled before launching himself back into the combat.

Carnage was all around us. Stones littered the floor, broken tables were everywhere, and the bodies of our unconscious, or worse, friends were everywhere. I ducked as glass shards rained down from a nearby window.

Our guild is being destroyed… I thought. Quickly I closed Loke's gate and opened Taurus. He bellowed a moo and joined the fighting raging around us.

_Where is Natsu?_

The fire-breather was usually right in the middle of things like this, roaring fire and curses at the enemy, having a grand old time kicking butt. But I didn't see him anywhere. Outside I heard what sounded like explosions.

_There would be the best place to look for that hothead._

I sprinted outside, dodging attacks from friends and foes alike. I tried to block out the screams. There were so many that it was almost impossible. The Six Demons had also brought along there own army that destroyed the rest of Magnolia while they were focused on our guild. The citizens had called an evacuation but many were still inside. And the Oracion Seis targeted everyone.

I ran down the main street and through the marketplace, dodging debris from numerous battles against soldiers and police. I suddenly wished I had put on a warmer outfit. The winter nights had bathed everything in a blanket of snow, and frozen the river over solid. Billows of flames rose from the bridge and I quickly changed directions.

"Fire Dragon R-" I heard before it was silenced by another explosion. My heart stopped and I gasped. It wasn't fire.

"Natsu!" I yelled and picked up the pace. I arrived at the bridge a minute later, breathing hard. Midnight threw a bolt of magic at the Dragon Slayer and he was thrown onto the ice of the river. I heard the crack of his bones from where I stood on the bridge. The impact stained the ice around his head crimson. I screamed, which was my mistake. Midnight's head turned and he sneered.

"So, is this your little Spirit Wielder friend, huh Natsu?" his lips curled devilishly. "Well maybe I'll pick on her instead. You've lost your touch, Dragneel."

Natsu tried to sit up. He bared his teeth and tried to hide the blood that seeped through his lips. "YOU TOUCH ONE HAIR ON HER HEAD-"

"And you'll what?" he asked. "You barely have the strength to sit up Dragon Slayer. I doubt you can stop me."

I ran but he was too fast. He clutched my hair and pulled me off the bridge. I hit the river with a thud and began to stand, but Midnight kicked me back to the ground and planted his foot in my back. The ice burned my hands and legs.

"So Natsu, what are you going to do now?" he laughed as Natsu stood up shakily. A weak flame flickered in his palm, making Midnight chuckle. "You're gonna try that again? Don't you ever learn?" Midnight kicked me aside and took a few steps towards Natsu. I felt my ribs snap. My hands shook as I reached for my Keys, but Midnight heard me. Quickly he kicked the pouch from my hands and it skidded across the river. His knee struck the side of my face and knocked me to the ground again.

"LUCY! HANG ON!" Natsu yelled and ran towards Midnight. Black magic swirled the air around Natsu and blocked him from view. All I heard were his screams.

"STOP IT! STOP IT!" I screamed at Midnight but he only smiled.

"As you wish."

The swirling black mass disappeared and Natsu crumpled to his hands and knees, breathing hard. His scarf and hair were blotted red. Midnight stood over him.

"You make me sick." Midnight kicked him across the face and Natsu was thrown to his side. "What is it you fight for again? Friends? Family? Loyalty?" he spat, "You're pathetic." A black spear materialized in his hands. "This is the last time you'll interfere."

"NO!" I screamed as the blade pierced his chest. Natsu's eyes flashed open, and blood spat from his mouth. The blood collected in a puddle around his middle, covering the white ice with sticky crimson. The word ripped through my lungs again and again as Midnight struck the point deep into Natsu's side.

He didn't move. He didn't speak.

Midnight smirked. The spear disappeared and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's about time someone cut you down to size, Natsu. You'd gotten too cocky over the years. No one likes a showoff." He turned and began to walk back towards the bank. Midnight's eyes rested on me and he grinned. "Did you enjoy the show?"

I struggled to get up from the pain in my chest. The broken ribs made it worse. The burning ice made it impossible. "NATSU!" I screamed again. He still hadn't moved.

_Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead._ My mind repeated a thousand times over as Midnight walked away.

"You know Lucy," he said without turning around, "If only you had done something. Maybe you could have stopped me." His footsteps retreated into the darkness and chaos of the battle.

I lay on the ice for a moment, breathing hard. All I could see was Natsu; the growing red spots around him. Without taking my eyes off him, I pushed myself painfully to a standing position. Midnight's words stuck in the back of my mind.

_If only I had done something._

I swayed on my feet and my head spun. "Nat…su." I took a few steps towards him. It was almost funny. He looked just like he was asleep. Like he'd wake up any moment and finish Midnight off. But he didn't get up, and he didn't finish Midnight off.

I closed the distance between us and collapsed next to his head. His pale face was covered in red, and it dripped out of his slightly open lips. Patches of his pink hair were darkened and wet. His right hand lay across his bloodied side and the other rested by his head. The red Fairy Tail insignia looked misshapen, blending in with the blood on his arm.

"Natsu…" I said quietly. I laid down His knees were by my head. I took his hand, which was colder than the ice below us. I grasped the soft end of his scarf and held it to my face. Until now, I hadn't shed a tear. I still had hope that he'd be all right. But now I sobbed. I clutched his hand and his scarf and sobbed into him. Again and again I said his name, but no one answered. My entire body had gone cold, either from the snow that had started falling or the pain of loss.

"LUCY!" Two voices said at once. I heard the fast shuffle of footsteps. They halted.

"Natsu?" Gray.

"Lucy." Erza.

"NATSU!" _Happy._

The footsteps grew louder and suddenly Erza and Gray were there. Happy fluttered near Natsu's head, desperately whining at him to wake up.

"H-Happy… s-stop…" I couldn't hear it. I couldn't hear him begging. Not when I knew that Natsu would never wake up. Erza placed a hand on his bloodied head and stroked his hair. Suddenly, Gray's arms wound around my waist and pulled me up. I shouted at him but he held tight and dragged me away. I screamed over and over, begging Gray to let me go. I pulled and clawed at his arms, yelling curses at him, unaware of his own tears he didn't bother to wipe.

I suddenly felt drained to the bone and closed my eyes, quieting my cries until the tears came silently. I screamed one last time into the night until my throat was raw. Gray gently folded me into his arms and hugged me tightly. I kept my face in his shirt and cried as things happened around me. I heard people come and go, rustling, voices, sobs, all probably from the guild after seeing him. Many hands gently touched my shoulder, or rubbed my back as a silent apology. Wendy even grasped my shirt for a while as she sniffled into my side.

I opened my eyes just as the Dragon Slayer was being carried away by Macao and Elfman. I choked back a sob and reached out to touch him, catching my fingers on his scarf. It slipped right off and into my hand. Without it though, Natsu looked even worse. Once again I noticed the little scar on his neck that was always hidden by the soft fabric. Balling the scarf up in my hand, I squeezed my eyes shut again and clutched Gray's shirt as a new wave of tears came.

What felt like hours later, Gray gingerly pushed me away. I looked at his face and saw that his eyes were red too. "Come on," he spoke softly, "Let's go."

I stole a glance at where Natsu had laid and saw only the red splotches on the ice. I almost started crying again. Erza and Happy had already gone back to the guild, along with the rest of our friends. Gray and I were the only ones left. He'd been waiting until I was ready.

Gray took the scarf from my hand and threw it around my neck, "He'd have wanted you to have it." He smiled a little and put his arm around my shoulder, holding me up as we made our way back to the guild.

But we both knew it would never be the same again.


End file.
